Method of burning fluid fuels



July 2,1940. T NAGEL 2,205,553

METHOD 0F BURNING FLUID FUELS Filed April v19. 1939 INVENTOR MN.

f BY @www ATTORNEY Patented July 2, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE2,206,553 METnon or BURNING FLUID FUELS Theodore Nagel, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application April 19, 1939, serial No. 268,760

'4 Claims.

. This invention is directed to generating sensible heat from fluidfuels, and more specifically is directed to converting petroleum orhydrocarbons derived from petroleum to combustion products bydecomposing oil to gas in air,.and burning the combustible gaseousmixture without additional or secondary air supply for combustion.

My invention provides for converting oil to gas :o in controlled gas-airratio so that either an 'oxidizing or a reducing furnace atmosphere canbe produced, and having any desired temperature within the range frompractically the maximum theoretical combustion temperature of hydroihcarbons and air that is, the temperature resulting from combustion ofhydrocarbons with the amount of air theoretically needed for completecombustion-approximately 3750 F. without air preheat-down to around 2000F.

My invention is adapted for the generation of combustion productscontrolled-temperature heat for industrial furnaces and for heatingsystems in buildings and homes.

InV the practice of my invention a controlled "3 continuous stream ofair is iiowed through a dispersion chamber into which a controlled flowof oil is continuously atomizd for dispersion of this oil in the air.The volume of this air while sufficient to support ignition of the oilis insuicient for combustion of the oil. The oil is ignited uponentering the air stream, ignition being effected by any of the standardmethods currently used for that purpose. y

From the ignition and dispersion chamber the dispersed and ignited oilcontinuously ows into a controlled continuous air stream introduced fromabout the periphery of the dispersed and ignited oil, this airconverging into the path of the dispersed and ignited oil and being at40 least sufficient in volume to support combustion of enough of the oilto liberate sulcient heat to vaporize all of the oil and flash decomposethe oil vapor thus produced to gaseous hydrocarbons and carbon. Thegaseous hydrocarbons and carbon thus produced are continuously diffusedand disseminated throughout this air stream as they enter and flow in aconverging stream through a gasifying and diffusion chamber, thevelocity of the mixture through this gasifying and diffusion chamberbeing such that liberation of maximum heat intensity occurs mainlybeyond the exit of the diffusion chamber, and if the volume of the lastmentioned air stream be just suiiicient to produce complete combustionof the oil, combustion of all of the (Cl. S-117.5)

oil is effected, and the combustion products be- ,ing tr'ee from airdilution, attain combustion temperatures approximating 3750 F.

It is to be noted that all the air required for ignition, vaporizationand gasification of the oil, and the air required for combustion isintroduced into the equipment. The dispersion and diffusion chambers areso restricted in areas and volumes, that ignition, vaporization andgasification of the oil, and diffusion of the oil gas, carbon and airare effected within the dispersion and diffusion chambers, liberation oivmaximum heat intensity, as above noted, being effected beyond theoutlet or exit of the diffusion chamber.

I have assumed in the preceding paragraph that the volume of airentering and flowing through the diffusion chamber is just sufficient toeilect complete combustion of the oil. Should, however, the air entering'and flowing through the diffusion chamber be less than that requiredfor completecombustion ofthe oil, the air i deficiency may be made up byintroducing a controlled and independently adjustable continuous streamof air within the equipment so as to diffuse with the combustiblematerial flowing through the outlet of the equipment, so controlling theweight proportions and distribution of this air with respect to thecombustible material as to produce external to the diffusion chamberexit combustion prodcts practically free from air dilution, and attemperatures approximately 3750 F.

When the production of an oxidizing furnace atmosphere is desired, I mayproduce, external to the diffusion chamber, combustion productscontaining any desired amount of air dilution by 4introducing air intothe diffusion chamber, in excess of that required for completecombustion of the oil either with the first air stream introduced intothe entrance of the diffusion chamber or with the air introduced into`the diffusion chamber adjacent the outlet of the chamber, or both. Bythe introduction of this air in excess, combustion products areproduced, external to the exit of the diffusion chamber containing anydesired amount of air dilution so as to obtain controlled-temperaturecombustion products at any deficiency below that required fortheoretically complete combustion.

It will be seen from all of the foregoing that I have provided a processwherein oil is atomized into a dispersion chamber and dispersed into acontinuously flowing stream of air paesini through said chamber, thevolume of air bein! sumcient to support ignition of the atomized oil butinsum'cient to gasify a substantial amount of the oil, the dispersed andignited hydrocarbons passing continuously into an air stream ofcontrolled volume flowing through a diffusion chamber where thehydrocarbons are converted to gaseous hydrocarbons and carbon, which arecontinuously discharged from the diilusion chamber to produce combustionproducts ex ternal to the exit of the diffusion chamber withoutadditional or secondary air supply for combustion.

It will be apparent also that the temperature of the combustion productsmay be regulated at will. For example, I may produce combustion productssuiilciently air diluted as to lower or reduce the temperature of thecombustion products to around 2000 F., the combustion productstemperature rising as the air dilution is decreased until thistemperature approaches maxi mum theoretical combustion temperatures ofaround 3750 F. without air preheat and combustion products practicallyfree of air dilution are produced. It will be appreciated, of course,that upon a stillfurther reduction of the air volume high temperaturecombustion products below the temperature of 3750 F. above referred toare obtained external to the diffusion chamber to produce a reducingatmosphere with- 'in the heating zone of a furnace.

complete combustion or 2920 cubic feet air, 3010 cubic feet combustionproducts will be produced, the air dilution of whichlowersorreducesthetemperatures of the combustion products to around 2250F. With 3250 cubic feet of air the temperature will be around 2000 F. Anintense reducing atmosphere is produce with combustion products at atemperature around 2000 F., when the feed proportions are one gallonfuel-oil to approximately '750 cubic` feet air, producing approximately800 cubic feet gaseous products containing no air dilution butconsisting of combustible gas, carbon and inert gases.

I have constructed and operated several units for the practice of myinvention and the operation of these units has conclusively demonstratedthe claims herein made and covering my new method and apparatus forconverting hydrocarbons to combustion products having any desiredcontrolled temperature within the temperature range herein stated andproducing at will an oxidizing or a reducing furnace atmosphere.

vBy means of the above described control i'iow distribution weightproportion of'air with respect to oil and the extremely short timeinterval that is' required in flowing through the dispersion anddiffusion chambers I obtain practically flash decomposition of the oilto gaseous hydrocarbons and carbon, diifused and disseminated throughoutthe combustion air within the didusion ber and so controlled as toproduce beyond the outlet of the diffusion chamber practically hashcombustion ot the combustible gaseous mixture, for the reason that nosupplementary or secondary air is required to produce, external to thediffusion chamber, combustion products of the desired temperature.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated several types ofequipment which I have found suitable for the practice of my invention:

Fig. 1 shows insectional elevation an equipment for attachment to afurnace;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of an apparatus constructed as an integral partof an industrial furnace; and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 2 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail and with reference, ilrst of all, toFig. l: 2 designates a housing for refractories 4 providing dispersionchamber 6 and gasifying and dinusion chamber I. Oil from any suitablesource of supply is subjected to pressure by a pump l0 and introduced bypressure release into the dispersion chamber B through an atomizingnozzle I 2 which is provided at the extrance end of this chamber. Theamount of oil supplied to the dispersion chamber is controlled by valveI4.

The housing 2 is equipped with air intake Il to which a controlled airilow is supplied by a fan or blower I8. The control of this air flow iseil'ected by gate valve 20. An ignition system, such as electrodes 22`or any suitable type' of ignition is provided adiacent theatomizingnozzle l2. A suillcient volume of the air entering the intake Il flowsbetween the housing 2 and refractory 4 and into the dispersion Ichamber6 about the nozzle i2 to support ignition of the oil as it is releasedinto this chamber. This air is insumcient in volume, however, to gasifya substantial amount of the oil.

The ignited and dispersed oil passes through the dispersion chamber andflows continuously into a stream of air, the volume of which iscontrolled, entering the diffusion chamber at 24. This air. as will beseen from the drawing, is introduced from about the periphery of thedispersed and ignited oil and converges into the path of the oil. Thevolume of air entering at 24 is controlled, as above mentioned, by valve20, and is at least sufi'icient t`o produce combustion of enough of theoil to liberate sutilcient heat to vaporize all of the oil and flashdecompose the oil vapor to gaseous hydrocarbons and carbon within thediifusion chamber. The gaseous hydrocarbons and carbon thus produced arecontinuously ditused and disseminatedV throughout the air streamentering at 24 and owing through the diffusion chamber l and out of theexit end thereof. The diffusion chamber in the embodiment illustrated inFig. 1 is contracted at its outlet end 28 and the mixture of gaseoushydrocarbons, carbon and air now therethrough in converging stream. Theoutlet end of the diffusion chamber is spaced from the adjacent end 2lof the housing 2, as shown at 21, to provide, if desired, for theadmission of air from the intake I8 of an air supply additional to thatadmitted at 24. A valve 30 is screwed into the end of walll 2l of thehousing 2 and by adjusting this valve the volume of air admittedaddacent the exit end of the diffusion chamber 8 can be controlled,

As hereinabove pointed out all of the air desired for producingcombustion of the oil may be introduced at 24. n the other hand, some ofthis air may be introduced between the wall 28 of the housing 2 and theend of the refractory at 21. tion of the products of combustion isdesired the air in excess of that required to produce completecombustion of the oil feed may be introduced eitherat'24 or 2l, or both.

In Figs.. 2 and 3 I have shown an apparatus constructed as an integralpart of an industrial furnace. In this construction the pump I0 suppliesoil under pressure to the atomizing nozzle l2, the volume of oil beingcontrolled by valve I4. The nozzle I 2, as in Fig. 1. is at the intakeend of dispersion chamber 6', and ignition air is supplied by stackdraft through the nozzle end of this chamber. The diffusion chamber 8'is continuously supplied with a controlled volume of air which flowsabout the sides f the refractory 32, control being eiected by damper 34.The operation of this equipment is the same as that of Fig. l and whileall of the air necessary for complete combustion of the oil feed may beadmitted past the damper 34, additional air for air dilution of thecombustion products may be supplied to the exit of the diffusion chamberthrough channel 36 controlled by damper 38. 0in the other hand, thisexcess air may be supplied past the damper 34, if desired. Likewise,when desired, only part of the air for complete combustion of the oilfeed' is suppled past the damper 34, the remainder being suppliedthrough channel 36.

From the foregoing description and illustraapparatus provide a methodfor the continuous flash of oil in air to an ignited gas, carbon, aircombustible mixture so proportioned and controlled through regulation ofthe weight ratio proportions of oil and air and the -ilow distributionof the air as to produce practically flash gasification of the oil to anignited combustible mixture that requires no additional supplementary orsecondary air supply for combustion beyond the outlet of the diffusionchamber.

It will be appreciated also that I can produce combustion products,either oxidizing or reducing, at practically any desired controlledtemperature ranging from about 2000 F. up to practically maximumtheoretical combustion temperature.

It is to be understood that changes may be -made in the method andapparatus herein described without departing from the spirit and scopeof my invention.

What I claim is:I

1. The method of continuously burning oil, which method comprisescontinuously atomizing a controlled iiow of, oil into a dispersionchamber, simultaneously admitting air to the chamber in suillcientvolume to support ignition of the oil but insuillcient to supportcombustion of enough oil to generate sufficient heat to gasify asubstantial part of the oil in the dispersion chamber, igniting the oilin the dispersion chamber, continuously flowing the dispersed andignited oil into a diffusion chamber, admitting As also explained abovewhere air diluto the diffusion chamber additional air for com- 2. Themethod of continuously burning oil,

which method comprises continuously atomizing a controlled how of oilinto a dispersion chamber, simultaneously admitting air to the chamberin sufficient volume to support ignition of the oil but insufficient tosupport-combustion 0f enough of the oil to generate 'suillclent heat t0gasify a substantial amount of the oil in the dispersion chamber,igniting the oil in the dispersion chamber, continuously flowing thedispersed and ignited oil into a diffusion chamber, charging combustionair into the diffusion chamber across the path of the divergingdispersed and ignited oil, flowing the diifused and disseminated mixtureat a controlled velocity through the diiusion chamber and prior to itsdischarge from the diffusion chamber charging additional air into thediffusion chamber across the path of said diffused and disseminatedmixture in suilicient volume so that the total amount of air which hasbeen admitted to the chamber is at least suilicient to supportcombustion of all'of the oil.

3. The method of continuously burning oil, which method comprisescontinuously atomizing oil in a diverging stream through a chamber,simultaneously admitting air to said chamber in suilicient volume tosupport ignition of the oil but insuflcient to support combustion ofenough oil to generate 'sufiicient heat to gasify a substantial amountof the oil in the chamber, igniting the oil in the chamber, continuouslyflowing the dispersed and ignited oil into a diffusion chamber, chargingcombustion air into the ditluslon chamber across the path of thediverging dispersed and ignited oil, said air being sufhcient in volumeto support the desired combustion of the oil and all of it being chargedfrom about the periphery of the dispersed and ignited oil, anddischarging the burning mixture from the diilusion chamber at suchvelocity that ilash combustion of the combustible gaseous mixture atmaximum temperature occurs mainly beyond the exit of the chamber.

4. The method of continuously burning oil, which method comprisescontinuously atomizing a controlled flow of oil into a dispersionchamber, simultaneously admitting air to the chamber in suiiicientvolume to support ignition of the oil but insufficient to supportcombustion of enough oil to generate suiiicient heat to gasify asubstantial part of the oil in the dispersion chamber, igniting the oilin the dispersion chamber, continuously flowing the dispersed andignited oil into a diffusion chamber, charging combustion air into thediffusion chamber across the path of the dispersed and ignited oil, saidair being charged from about the periphery of the dispersed and ignitedoil, and flowing this maxture through the diffusion chamber in a streamof decreasing cross sectional area and at such velocity that combustionof the mixture occurs mainly beyond the exit of the diiusion' chamber,

THEODORE NAGEL.

-cEmrIJsrccm2 op coRREcTIoN. patent No. 2,206,555.` July 2, 19240.

THEODORE NAGED.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above nunbered patent requirizg co'rrotion ae follows: Page 2,first ,column' une 142i fm' 6-'75" read "fl-75"# and second column,15.1.1@36, for

the syllable "ber" read. --chamberng page 5,l first column, lin'e'hl,after "flash," insert -conversion; and. second column, line 65- 66,claim )4, for "maxture" read mixture; and. that the said Letters Patentehouldbe read with this correction therein that the seme may conform tothe record of the case 1n the Patent orf1ce.

signed and sealed this 15m day of August. A. n. 191m..-

` Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) v Acting Commissione.' of Patents.

